mgo.licio.us

"The face of the operation is Briatore (referred to exclusively in the film by his colleagues and angry, chanting detractors as "Flavio"), an anthropomorphic radish who spends most of his time at QPR plotting to fire all of the managers."

At press time, Harbaugh had sent Michigan’s athletic department an envelope containing a heavily annotated seating chart, a list of the 63,000 seat views he had found unsatisfactory, and a glowing 70-page report on section 25, row 12, seat 9, which he claimed is “exactly what the great sport of football is all about.”

friday night lights

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

Performance of the Week:

MI WR Shawn Conway

(Apologies for the lack of HD and production value in editing - the MGoAccess to equipment is no more. If you want that to return... you know where to find the Beveled Guilt button).

By my count, Conway finished with six receptions for 134 yards (22 ypc), including a 60-yard touchdown. He also had one punt return, which he took back 65 yards for a touchdown. Defensively, he had one pass breakup (would have been a 96-yard pick-6 if he had realized it was third down, not fourth) and five tackles.

Now for the scouting report: Conway was by far the best athlete on the field, and the second-tallest guy on either team (Seaholm has one massive offensive lineman). The Maples' quarterback was as bad as advertised, and even his "good" passes downfield were wobblers. For that reason, Conway had three purposes on offense: 1) Catch screens 2) Run fly or post routes for hopeful jump balls 3) Serve as a distraction for the defense, either by alignment or by running deep to open the field underneath.

He was effective in all three roles, and with a good QB situation, he could pile up huge numbers. A lot of the hopeful jump balls came on plays he was behind the defense, but had to slow down or stop to let the ball get to him. He didn't come down with any passes by leaping above defenders, but he didn't really get a chance due to the passing. You can find full game highlights here.

Fahr was up front with the Michigan coaches and told them of the incident at Seaholm. "I did not hold anything from them," he said. "He got caught. I got guardianship of him and I think I can turn him around. I told him if I don't do it, then drop him. They said we believe in you and we are going to trust you."

Conway knows he has a fresh chance in life and vows to take advantage. He is not certain what he wants to study in college, but is leaning toward engineering. His goal is to play in the NFL and make a better life for his family.

The rest of the story centers around his adoption by Seaholm coach Chris Fahr. It's a great story, and I strongly suggest you click through to read the whole thing.

Shawn Conway 2010

Offense

Special Teams

Defense

Opponent

Result

Rec

Yds

Avg.

TD

Ret

Yds

Avg.

TD

Tack

PBU

North Farmington

W 26-6

4

32

8.00

1

3

137

45.67

1

Andover

W 35-21

6

134

22.33

1

1

65

65.00

1

5

1

Totals

2-0

10

166

16.60

2

4

202

50.50

2

5

1

This week: The Maples travel to Bloomfield Hills Lahser at 7pm on Friday.

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Last week: Lake Nona fell to Harmony, 17-50. Sousa has lost Matt Mendez, who was projected to be one of his top WR targets this season, for the year with an MCL tear. That could limit his stats a bit - especially considering the Lions had 11 drops(!) of Sousa passes on Friday. Our very own TomVH caught up with Sousa to get his stats:

MI OL Jake Fisher

Brett Kenny finished off a nine-play, 70-yard drive in just 1:30 with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Fisher on a well-executed fake hand-off and quick hit over the middle. That knotted things up at 14-14 with 26 ticks left in the opening half.

There are 2009 stats on the TC West website, so hopefully as the season goes on, they'l start having 2010 stats as well.

OH DE Chris Rock

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last week: Plymouth fell to Howell, 10-18. Beyer forced a fumble in the game, though the game article gives the impression that Howell was focusing on him on the other side of the ball, limiting him from being involved in the offense.

This week: Plymouth faces Wayne on Friday at 7pm.

TX LB Kellen Jones

Last week: St. Pius X was blasted by Sealy, by a score of 6-57. Thanks to reader Michael Scott for pointing me toward a site where I could find scores of Jones's games. Also, thanks to our very own TomVH, I have full stats for both of the last two games. Apparently, St. Pius X threw four interceptions and took a safety, so it was a terrible game for them offensively. Jones had 13 tackles and two forced fumbles.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

Performance of the Week:

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Last week: Plymouth pasted Salem, 48-0. Beyer - from the start of the second quarter through the end of the game - had 2 receiving touchdowns for 43 yards, and a blocked punt, which he returned for a touchdown, to go along with several tackles. HD video highlights:

Seemed like a "man amongst boys" situation for the most part. Beyer is the standout performer this week.

This week: Plymouth takes on Howell on Thursday at 7pm.

FL QB Kevin Sousa

Last week: Lake Nona lost to Citrus, 0-14. This "Kickoff Classic" was a preseason game, not the start of the regular season. MGoReader Bob took in the game, and gave his impressions:

Even though half of the game was played in the rain, Sousa didn't look very sharp. Frankly, Lake Nona is not a very good football team. Citrus was equally as bad. Kevin had zero O- line blocking and was tackled many times for losses. His passes had zip but the wet conditions made them nearly uncatchable. I'm glad he fared well at the camps because the team he plays with is pretty sad.

Tom got in touch with Sousa's high school coach, and Kevin's approximate stats were: 15/34 for 136 yards and a pick, and 54 yards on 12 carries on the ground. The weather was a big factor as well.

MI WR Shawn Conway

Shawn Conway's 74-yard return on the opening kickoff proved to be a sign of good things to come for Birmingham Seaholm in their high school football season opener Thursday against North Farmington.

Conway added touchdown receptions of 6 and 15 yards, as Seaholm built a 26-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Maples held on to win by a score of 26-6 in the Oakland Activities Association game.

He finished with 169 all-purpose yards, and given his 4 catches for 32 yards, he his other returns totaled 63 yards. One more article. You can see video highlights from the game here, and Conway looks very impressive (the quarterback... not so much).

This week: The Maples take on Bloomfield Hills Andover on Thursday at 7pm at Seaholm High School.

OH OL Jack Miller

Last week: Paul and I were there (for the first half) as Miller's St. John's Jesuit team pasted an overmatched Toledo Scott squad 49-7, after holding a 49-0 halftime lead. Miller only played sparingly on either side of the ball after a couple offensive and defensive series. Here's the HD video:

By my count, Miller had 3 tackles, including two for loss, and nearly came up with a fumble recovery on defense. Offensively, he had pancake blocks on nearly every running play. I was more impressed with him on that side of the ball.

This week: St. John's travels North to take on Birmingham Brother Rice on Saturday at 1:30 PM at Farmington Hills Harrison. Alas, it is during the UConn game, so I'll be missing it.

FL OL Tony Posada

From what I saw, the criticisms we've heard on Posada are accurate. He will have to get into much better shape if he's going to be a contributor at the next level. At this point, he's much better as a mauler than a pass blocker, as well. He did get a little nicked up during the game, but nothing seemed serious. He showed off his versatility by playing both tackle positions, as well as guard.

This week: Plant heads to Tampa Bay Tech (the only team to beat them last year) on Friday at 7:30.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Also very workman-like last night was Greg Brown. The future Wolverine was hammered by Spartan defenders every time he got near the ball. Greg kept his wits about him, got up, walked back to the huddle and played ball.

This week: The Little Giants take on Toledo Whitmer on Friday at 7:30.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Hollowell had a handful of tackles and a pair of pass breakups. He didn't play on offense, and looked like he may have been dinged up, which could explain his "meh" performance (also explaining it - Pioneer's gameplan placed an emphasis on avoiding his side of the field). His younger teammates 2012 LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and CB Terry Richardson also impressed, with Jenkins-Stone pounding away as a fullback (though he was inconsistent at linebacker), and Richardson playing well at both corner and receiver. Richardson returned a fumble 60-pluys yards for one of Cass Tech's scores.

Chris Rock

Last year, St. Francis De Sales went 7-3 in the regular season, making the playoffs. Once they got there, they pounded through 4 rounds to the state championship game. There, they lost to Ray Vinopal's Youngstown Cardinal Mooney team. Rock finished with about 50 tackles and 11.5 sacks despite struggling with illness through most of the season.

This year, DeSales expects to make the playoffs yet again (as they have for the past 17 years), and they have intentions to win it this time. They boast senior starters at many positions, and a number of talented players, including 2012 RB Warren Ball, who many suspect is silently committed to Ohio State. However, they have only 8 starters back off last year's team. Rock will play both defensive end and tight end for the Stallions, and look for an improvement on his numbers from last season with a healthy year.

Rock has switched from No. 88 to 54 so he can play on the line in addition to taking snaps at tight end.Rock has been a standout at defensive end since coming to the school for his sophomore year, and should continue to lead the sack parade this season.

If Rock can stay healthy and put a good product in the field this year, he could see his rankings improve. Prior to last year, he was considered a top prospect in Ohio's class of 2011.

I might be able to catch a game or two of Rock's, though they play in Orchard Lake during a Michigan game, so I'll have to head to Ohio to do it. DeSales streams audio from all their games on their website, and typically has highlight videos as well.

Plymouth Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-27

7:00

Salem

9-2

7:00

Howell

9-10

7:00

Wayne Memorial

9-17

7:00

@ Livonia Churchill

9-24

7:00

@ Livonia Franklin

10-1

7:00

Westland John Glenn

10-8

7:00

@ Canton

10-15

7:00

@ ?

10-22

6:30

Adrian

Brennen Beyer

Last year, Beyer's Plymouth team went 6-3, making the MHSAA playoffs. However, they were pasted in the first round by Canton 40-17 to finish 6-4. That was actually a vast improvement over their regular season loss to the Chiefs, in which they went down 49-7. Over the course of the season, Beyer accumulated 9 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. On offense, he had 6 touchdown receptions.

This year, the Wildcats are looking to make it back to the playoffs, and break their three-year streak of earning six wins. Beyer's offensive stats might suffer, as the team is replacing its starting quarterback, and one of the options is a dual threat. Defensively, I'm not sure if Beyer will stay at defensive end or move to linebacker in anticipation of playing that position at the next level. If Beyer has a huge year statistically, he could move up in the rankings, but he's probably at his peak right now.

With Plymouth's proximity to Ann Arbor, I should be able to check out a few of Brennen's games this year, and will have highlights to post on mgoblog.

St. Pius X Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-28

7:00

@ Trinity Christian Academy

9-3

7:30

@ Sealy

9-10

7:30

Bellaire Episcopal

9-17

7:30

Worthing

10-1

7:30

St. Thomas

10-8

7:30

@ Monsignor Kelly

10-15

7:30

@ Houston Christian

10-22

7:30

Monsignor Kelly

10-29

7:30

Houston Christian

11-5

7:30

@ St. Thomas

Kellen Jones

Houston, TX
St. Pius XHS position: LinebackerProjects as: Linebacker

Last year, St. Pius went 8-2 in the regular season, making the playoffs. Once there, they defeated San Antonio Central Catholic 42-28 and winning a district championship before being knocked out in a 28-36 Loss to Temple Nolan Catholic. Jones was one of the stars of his team, with 75 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, six sacks, and three fumbles forced/recovered in nine games played. he also added an interception in his first-team all-state campaign.

The Panthers expect to make the playoffs, as they have in each of the past seven seasons. Jones will be a key player defensively. It is important to note that their success does not come against some of the best teams in Texas, as they compete in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, and don't see the big public schools. That factor will probably keep Jones ranked where he is now.

I won't be seeing Jones in person this season, but still expect to fill you in on his stats each week.

Fremont Ross Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-27

7:00

@ Toledo Start

9-3

7:30

Toledo Whitmer

9-10

7:30

@ Tiffin Columbian

9-17

7:30

@ Cleveland Benedictine

9-25

7:30

Hunting University

10-1

7:30

@ Findlay

10-8

7:30

Marion Harding

10-15

7:30

@ Napoleon

10-22

7:30

Lima Senior

10-29

7:30

Sandusky

Greg Brown

Last year, Ross struggled to a 5-5 record, missing the state playoffs. For a traditionally strong program, this was a serious letdown. Greg Brown was one of the stars of last year's team, however, and since he was committed for so long, I covered him in last year's Friday Night Lights feature. He finished with about 26 receptions for 440 yards, and 24 carries for 133 yards on offense (where he was named 2nd team All-district at wideout). I couldn't find defensive stats for him.

"We want to put him in a position where he can make plays," Kidwell said of Brown. "At corner you can run away from him or you can throw away from him. We put him at free safety and he'll be in the middle of the field and he should be a great run supporter for us and he should be a great pass defender for us."

His attitude is reportedly much better than it was last year, which might mean more stats. He'll still be a versatile threat for the offense, maybe more on the ground this year, as Ross graduated QB Cody Foos. If Brown can prove himself on the field this fall, he might be in for a rankings bump.

I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to see Brown in person this season.

Cass Tech Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-28

8:00

AA Pioneer (@EMU)

9-3

6:00

Detroit Central

9-10

4:00

@ Detroit Denby

9-10

4:30

@ Detroit Southeastern

9-24

4:30

Detroit ML King

10-1

6:00

Detroit Mumford

10-8

4:30

@ Detroit Northwestern

Delonte Hollowell

Last year, Cass Tech went 5-3 in the regular season, making the MHSAA playoffs. They squeaked by Dearborn Fordson in the first round, before Detroit Southeastern knocked them out with a 41-0 pounding. They finished with a 6-4 overall record. Through five games, Hollowell had 3 interceptions and 25+ tackles, but I couldn't find stats for the second half of the year.

Cass Tech, like most of the Detroit Public Schools, struggles against suburban schools. They are consistently one of the top teams in the PSL, though Detroit Southeastern has whipped them a few times in a row. Hollowell will be one anchor of a strong secondary, and be a speedy, big-play receiver on the other side of the ball. Hollowell is unlikely to see his rankings go up, as it's his size that's keeping him ranked where he is.

This Saturday, Cass plays Ann Arbor Pioneer at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson Stadium at 8pm, part of the Big Day Prep Showdown. I'll be there getting highlights of Hollowell (and his junior teammates Royce Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson). There are conflicting schedule on the internet for the Technicians, so I'm not sure which game is accurate for the 10th.

For those who are new around here, I chronicle the high school exploits of Michigan commitments over the course of their seasons in Friday Night Lights. It includes statistical recaps, game stories, and even some original video. Here's a primer on the offensive side of the ball.

Lake Nona Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-27

6:00

Lake Howell

9-10

7:00

@ Lake Placid

9-17

7:00

Palm Bay Heritage

9-24

7:30

@ Lake Wales

10-1

7:00

Auburndale

10-8

7:00

@ Tenoroc

10-22

7:00

Sebring

10-29

7:30

@ Winter Haven

11-5

7:30

Lakeland Christian

Kevin Sousa

Lake Nona had a rough inaugural season of high school ball, winning a single game on their way to a 1-9 record. Their only victory came over fellow 1-9 squad Celebration. That's understandable in their first season, one without many (or possibly any) seniors on the team as well. Sousa passed for 1346 yards and eight TDs, while rushing for 916 yards and an another five scores.

In year two of Lake Nona's existence, there's a good chance that they take a leap forward. Just like year two of a coaching change, the players are used to the coaches now (and are even used to each other, after coming from different high schools as sophomores and younger). Sousa will also be in his third year of football after growing up a soccer player. Lake Nona has added some talent as well, including RB Jarius Pace, so Sousa won't have to be a one-man show. That should mean more openings and better stats for him. I think Sousa has a chance to improve his rankings (currently a consensus 3-star) with a good year statistically.

I won't be able to catch any of Sousa's games live, but plan to follow his progress this year very closely.

Birmingham Seaholm Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-26

7:00

North Farmington

9-2

7:00

Bloomfield Hills Andover

9-10

7:00

@ Bloomfield Hills Lahser

9-16

7:00

Detroit Country Day

9-24

7:00

Auburn Hills Avondale

10-1

7:00

@ Hazel Park

10-8

7:00

@ Berkley

10-15

7:00

Ferndale

10-22

7:00

@ Birgmingham Groves

Shawn Conway

Last year, Seaholm started the season by losing their first six games, before rebounding to finish with a 3-6 record. They missed the state playoffs, though they typically make it into the state tournament. Their quarterback issues prevented Conway from racking up gaudy stats. He finished the year with 79 receptions for about 800 yards with ten touchdowns.

Seaholm should be improved this year as Conway has the opportunity to star in his senior season, and their coach is on record expecting to win the league. Mick McCabe calls Conway the #17 player in the state of Michigan, and notes that his size/speed combo makes him a tough matchup. Still, unless Seaholm's quarterback situation get much better, he might not rack up serious stats. The lack of numbers will likely prevent Conway from seeing his ratings improve.

Seaholm is close enough to Ann Arbor that I should be able to make it out to a couple of Conway's games this year.

Traverse City West Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-27

7:00

Grand Haven

9-2

7:00

Grandville

9-10

5:00

Essex (CAN)

9-17

7:00

Cadillac

9-24

7:00

Gaylord

10-2

6:00

@ Dearborn Edsel Ford

10-8

7:00

@ Petoskey

10-15

7:00

@ Alpena

10-22

7:00

@ Traverse City Central

Jake Fisher

Last season, Traverse City West went 4-5 in the regular season, missing out on the state playoffs. They run an option-based ground attack. Fisher played primarily tight end and defensive end for the Titans, accumulating 10 receptions (out of only 38 for his entire team) for 185 yards and a touchdown on offense, with four tackles for loss on D.

This season, Fisher will remain at tight end, though he's added plenty of size in the offseason (three inches and 20some pounds), so he might be more of a mauler up front and slightly less of a receiving threat. The TC West coach is dropping platitudes about character being important, so the team probably won't be that good. They received just one out of about 100 first-place votes for conference champions among local media. Since Fisher's still playing out of position in high school, he probably won't see his ratings get that much better.

I might get a chance to check out one or two of Fisher's games this year, but probably not.

St. John's Jesuit Schedule 2010

Date

Time

Team

8-26

7:30

Toledo Scott

9-4

1:30

@ Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice

9-11

7:00

Sandusky

9-24

7:00

@ Toledo Whitmer

10-1

7:00

Toledo Start

10-15

7:00

Oregon Clay

10-22

7:00

@ Toledo Waite

10-29

7:00

@ Toledo Central Catholic

Jack Miller

Last year, St. John's Jesuit went 6-4, but that wasn't good enough for them to make the state playoffs. The season included a heartbreaking 6-7 loss to crosstown rival Toledo St. Francis DeSales. [Update: your editor got confused by St. Francis DeSales claimed that was where Omameh and Rock were from; they're from Columbus. Not Tim's error.] Miller had 12 sacks for his team, but obviously didn't accrue any stats as an offensive lineman.

St. John's Jesuit is in their final year of the City League, and will be competing in a new conference by next season, so this is their Nebraska-like last chance to win. Miller will play on both sides of the ball for his team. The recruiting sites can't even agree on what position Miller will play, so if he excels on the offensive line this year, he could see his ratings move up a bit.

I should have a couple opportunities to see Miller play in person (including tonight! Follow me on Twitter @varsityblue for updates) and plan to take some original mgoblog video.

Tony Posada

Last year, Plant was loaded, running up a 13-1 record and winning the Florida Class 5A State Championship. Posada was key a member of a line that racked up 2945 team rushing yards.

Plant is still loaded in 2010, with RB James Wilder and QB Phillip Ely committed to big time programs (Florida State and Alabama, respectively). They're the odds-on favorite to win a third consecutive state title. Posada should once again be a bookend for the line. With the amount of exposure that Plant gets, Posada will have to show some improvement in technique (and an ability to keep his weight down) if he wants to see his rankings move up.

I won't be able to see Tony play in person, however his team will be playing Manatee this Friday in a rematch of the 2009 state title game. The matchup will air on ESPNU.

A trio of 2010 Michigan commits participated in All-Star games over the weekend. The Brothers Talbott played for Team Ohio in the annual Big 33 Classic against Pittsburgh, while preferred walk-on Baquer Sayed (#4 at right) was on the East team in the Michigan High School Football Coaches' Association All-Star game. Paul and I took in the MHSFCA game in person, and I watched the Big 33 on NFL Network.

East-West Game Report

The MHSFCA All-Star game was without many of Michigan's best players (ironically enough). The likes of Nick Hill and William Gholston from Michigan State didn't play in the game, and the Wolverines' quartet of Ricardo Miller, Austin White, Jeremy Jackson, and Devin Gardner all enrolled early, so they couldn't play. Gardner in particular could have made this a much more entertaining game to watch. The QB play was iffy at best.

The East team had nothing going offensively in the first half, finishing with 7(!) yards of total offense and giving up a safety. The West took advantage, building a 16-0 lead going into the break, courtesy of two Chris Robinson (Ovid-Elsie - Grand Valley State) touchdown runs. Field position played a huge factor, as the East team rarely even made it into opposing territory.

After halftime, however, the East offense came alive, partially due to a little more aggressive play calling. While pass plays functioned as scramble drills in half one, they became part of a functioning offense in the second with Jason Fracassa (Sterling Height Stevenson - Northwood University) able to move the ball through the air. The East scored 20 unanswered points with Fracassa touchdown passes to Eric Cogan (Petersburg-Summerfield - Saginaw Valley State) and Torico Searcy (Warren Mott - Grand Rapids CC) before a last-minute West penalty allowed East coach Jim Sparks (Clawson) the opportunity to forgo a game-tying field goal to go for the win. Jeremy Langford (Westland John Glenn - Michigan State) lined up in the I-formation and sealed the victory for the East.

With such a sloppily-played game, few players truly impressed, but Spartan-bound wideout Tony Lippett (Detroit Crockett) was HUGE in comparison to the rest of the All-Stars. West running back Chris Robinson was somewhat impressive behind a sketchy offensive line, and West QB Jordan Beachnau (Holt - Grand Valley State) showed very good elusive abilities in traffic. I was not impressed at all by Jeremy Langford.

Photo Gallery

Sayed Report

Also impressive was Michigan's lone representative in the game, Baquer Sayed. He was routinely open on the occasion that a pass play was called, but he was often missed (either the quarterback threw a bad ball or didn't throw it his way at all , often because he was running for his life) or interfered with. On top of one key pass interference drawn, he caught 3 passes for 45 yards, with a long reception of 22 yards. He was thrown to two other times, but both passes were uncatchable.

Big 33 Game Report

The Big 33 Classic annually pits some of the best in Ohio against some of the best in Pennsylvania. A number of college commitments participated (Pitt led the way with 10 commits, though Ohio State and Penn State each had 4), and like the Michigan game, it was a defensive battle for much of the contest.

It's very rare that you'll see two separate games start with 2-0 scores in an entire year, much less one day, but that was the case Saturday, as Pennsylvania took that advantage all the way into halftime. Missed field goals from both teams (including onetime Michigan preferred walkon-turned-Vanderbilt kicker Carey Spear of Team Ohio) and generally sloppy play limited the scoring, and quite honestly, fan enjoyment of the game.

After halftime, the game opened up somewhat, as Pennsylvania QB Anthony Gonzales (Liberty - Pitt) threw a pair of touchdown passes, one to PSU-bound Alex Kenney (State College) and another to future teammate Andrew Carswell (Sto-Rox). Ohio was not to be outdone, as Ohio State commits Verlon Reed (Marion Franklin) and Christian Bryant (Glenville) scored TDs. Reed's came on an 80-some-yard scamper, and Bryant's was a 26-yard reception with less than a minute on the clock to put Ohio up for good.

I was impressed with the performance of Alex Kenney and Andrew Carswell from Pennsylvania. Carswell should be a big target for Pittsburgh in the coming years. Wisconsin-bound Mannesah Garner (Brashear) was a terror on the defensive line, though he's expected to be a wideout in Madison. The surprise star of the day was Rich Gray (Woodland Hills) who's headed to Kent State, of all places. He was constantly in the Ohio backfield, and if he can stay on top of his conditioning, the Golden Flashes have uncovered a serious diamond in the rough.

A few Ohio players impressed as well. Verlon Reed and Christian Bryant showed good athleticism, though Reed couldn't pass the ball well at all, and Bryant looked lost in coverage at times (in man, he let Andrew Carswell get free by about 15 yards for one of Pennsylvania's touchdowns). JT Moore (Youngstown Boardman - Ohio State) got good pressure on the quarterback as well.

Talbotts Report

Michigan's representatives in the game, brothers Terry and Terrence Talbott, had mixed results. For the record, their jerseys both said "Talbott"—the organizers probably figured that 6 inches and 75 pounds would be enough for observers to differentiate between them.

Terry had one sack (@ 2:59 in the video below) and a couple other QB pressures, but no other real production. Terrence had a fumble recovery on special teams, one pass breakup and a couple tackles. Terrence was also responsible for one of Pennsylvania's touchdowns, however, as PSU commit Alex Kenney ran a streak down the sidelines, finding himself a step past—and a lot bigger than—Talbott.

Big 33 Video

That wraps up Michigan commits' All-Star performances for the year, and Friday Night Lights will go into hibernation until late August, when the Class of 2011 gets its time to shine.

High school All-Star games have started up once again, with Round Two consisting primarily of in-state or state-v-state contests. The Ohio North-South High School All-Star Game took place on Friday, with five future Wolverines participating.

The South team (featuring Jibreel Black and the Talbott brothers) defeated the North (featuring Courtney Avery, Antonio Kinard, and Jake Ryan) by a score of 23-20 in Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State.

The Performances

From a Michigan perspective, DL Jibreel Black (at right, file photo) was the top performer. He was named the defensive MVP for the winning squad, and made big plays when it mattered most:

Wyoming's Jibreel Black had two sacks to stop a North drive in the fourth quarter and help the South to a 23-20 victory in the Ohio North-South Classic Friday night at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Black was named the South's defensive MVP.

Every bit as deserving of the honor were the South's quick and nasty defensive linemen, who worked over the North's huge counterparts in dictating the tone of the game. North quarterbacks were on the run all night, resulting in turnovers and impossible third-and-long situations.

"From watching practices I wasn't sure whether we'd be able to handle them up front," South coach Mark Crabtree of Dublin Coffman said. "Our guys on the D-line are not gigantic, but they're powerful and explosive and play with a mean streak. We were really hard to block, and we gave our offense some pretty good opportunities."

The honor is double for Black then, who managed to be the best player on a defensive line that was so disruptive. That article incorrectly credits his two 4th-quarter sacks to Indiana commit Harrison Scott. The O-Zone offers high praise for Black:

Defensive lineman Jibreel Black (Cincinnati Wyoming) won the Defensive MVP with at least three sacks and as many pressures.

“It feels good,” Black said. “I’ve been working hard in the offseason to get ready, and it just paid off today. I tried to come out in the second half and make some plays for my team and get the win.”

The star of the night, however, was Jibreel Black. He was constantly in the backfield and pretty much controlled the entire second half. He’s not the biggest guy (6’2” 255) in the world, but then neither was Brandon Graham. And when pressed for what was going to happen the next time he plays in the Horseshoe as a Wolverine, Black didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I’ll be doing the same thing,” he laughed. “Pryor better watch out.”

Comparing him to Brandon Graham = yes plz. If he has the same work ethic as #55, he could be a special player in Ann Arbor. Una vez mas:

Jibreel Black is good. Pretty darn good. Unfortunately he’ll be suiting up for the Maize and Blue this fall. He had 2 key sacks on the last drive against the North and was the South’s Defensive MVP.

Black wasn't the only future Wolverine to show his stuff, however. In fact, despite all of Michigan's commits in the game playing on the defensive side of the ball, one of them managed to make it into the endzone:

He made the score 23-12 before North linebacker Antonio Kinard had a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:36 left in the game.

No other Wolverine commits are mentioned in the articles recapping the game, but an MGoPoster did take in the action and reports back:

Courtney Avery- Played CB. Didn't start. Good in pass coverage, needs to work on some tackling.

Jake Ryan- Played ILB. Good hitter. Big kid. Did not look comfortable in pass coverage. Did not drop into his zones well. Was just staring into the backfield

Antonio Kinard- Played OLB (similar to Roh last year). 2 pt stance on the LOS. Listed as 220 lbs, looks skinny though. Played with good discipline and had an INT return for a TD when the QB was hit as he was throwing, the ball went right to him and he showed good athleticism to catch it and take it back 40 yards for a TD.

Terrence Talbott- Played CB. Did well in coverage. Looked like he made a couple breakups.

Jibreel Black- The South D played a 3 man front. He started at LDE. In the 2nd half he moved to NT and then RDE. He made a huge stop on Erick Howard on a 4th and 1 when he slanted inside the RT and hit Howard in the backfield. He had 3 1/2 sacks in the 2nd half...and probably 3 more QB pressures. As a NT, he ate up Jeff Myers (2 star recruit going to Toledo). It wasn't even fair. He will remind people of BG when you look at him. Has a great first step and a great motor getting after the passer. Had some trouble at the point of attack when the ball was run right at him.

Others

The South MVP was Ohio State QB commit Verlon Reed... who completed as many passes to the opposing team as he did to his own team (one, for ten yards). He did run for a 37-yard touchdown, however. One source says he wasn't the MVP, but that's probably wrong.

The North team MVPs were Wisconsin WR commit Chase Hammond and WVU LB commit Jewone Snow. Eleven Warriors was there, and has a more Buckeye-centric recap of the game.

Up Next

The Big 33 Ohio-Pennsylvania Classic takes place June 19th in Hershey, PA. Michigan has no players on the Pennsylvania roster (CB Cullen Christian dropped out of the game), but both Talbott brothers and Jibreel Black are listed on the Ohio roster.

On the same day, the Michigan East-West All-Star game takes place in East Lansing. No future Wolverines on scholarship are participating (all of them have already enrolled in Ann Arbor), but walkon WR Baquer Sayed will take part. There may be another walk-on or two on the rosters that we don't know about yet.